Awarding Ratna display of cheap thrill: Tez Hazarika

Tez expressed his fear about the citizenship bill wreaking national disharmony.

Guwahati: Legendary singer Bhupen Hazarika’s son Tez has protested against the Citizenship Amendment Bill and said what the Centre would do on the bill was far more important than awarding Bharat Ratna posthumously to his father, which he termed as “a display of short-lived cheap thrill.”

In a statement on Monday evening, Tez said: “I believe that my father’s name and words are being invoked and celebrated publicly while plans are afoot to pass a painfully unpopular bill regarding citizenship that is actually undermining his documented position. It would, in reality, be in direct opposition to what Bupenda believed in his heart of hearts.”

He said had his father been alive, he would not have accepted the proposed law. “He would never have endorsed what appears, quite transparently, to be an underhanded way of pushing a law against the will and benefit of the majority in a manner that also seems to be grossly un-constitutional, undemocratic and un-Indian.”

Tez expressed his fear about the bill wreaking national disharmony: “Adopting any form of this bill at this point in the manner in which it is being proffered, now or in the future, will ultimately have the sad and undesirable effect of not only disrupting the quality of life, language, identity and power balance of the region, but that of undermining my father’s position — by delivering a wreaking blow to the harmony, inner integrity and unity of the secular and democratic Republic of India.”

Bharat Ratnas and long bridges were necessary, but would not promote peace and prosperity of citizens of India, for which popular laws and foresight of leaders were needed, he said. “Numerous journalists are asking me if I will accept the Bharat Ratna on behalf of my father…I have not received any invitation so far, so there is nothing to reject.” How the Centre moves on the bill “far outweighs in importance the awarding and receiving of such national recognition — a display of short lived cheap thrills.”

At Saturday’s rally in Guwahati, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said deserving personalities from Assam were not given Bharat Ratna. “After decades of delay, Dr Hazarika was given Bharat Ratna posthumously this year. Earlier during the regime of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Gopinath Bordoloi was given Bharat Ratna.” Several organisations had questioned the Centre’s motive in bestowing the award to Hazarika when Assam was witnessing stir over the citizenship bill, with some alleging it was done to quell the agitation.